Excavators



1965 N. BROCKLEBANK ETAL 3,169,649

EXCAVATORS Filed July 12, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventors NORMANBecame-ARK GORDON Sco-rr 1965 N. BROCKLEBANK ETAL 3,159,649

EXCAVATORS Filed July 12, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventors NORMANBRQLKLEBANK Gonvou Sea-r1- A ftorney;

United States Patent 3,169,649 EXCAVATORS Norman Brocklebank, Beverley,and Gordon Scott, Hull, England, assignors to Priestman BrothersLimited, Hull, England, a British company Filed July 12, 1963, Ser. No.294,658 Claims. (Cl. 214-138) This invention relates to mechanicalexcavators in which a bucket is pivotally mounted on an arm carried fromthe body of the excavator and the bucket also has pivoted to it a linkby, which the bucket can be rocked about its pivot on the arm duringdigging and for discharging its contents.

According to the present invention the bucket of such an excavator hastwo connections, one near the top and one near the bottom of the bucketby either of which it can alternatively be attached to the arm, and thelink incorporates a swivel which allows the bucket, when attached to thearm by one connection, to be disconnected, turned around on the swivelso that the bucket faces in an opposite direction relatively to the armand then attached again to the arm by the other connection.

With this simple arrangement the excavator can easily be altered fromuse as a drag shovel or back-actor to use as a face shovel. All that isnecessary is to disconnect the connection by which the bucket isattached to the arm and then to turn the bucket through 180 on itsswivel and connect the bucket to the arm again by the other connection.

The link may connect the bucket to an inner boom part, which is pivoteddirectly on the excavator body, and to the free end of which the armcarrying the bucket is pivoted as in the excavator described in BritishPatent No. 940,607. Alternatively the link may be con.- nected to ahydraulic ram by which the bucket is directly rocked on the end of thearm,

In any case the bucket is preferably mounted on the end of the arm andthe link may then consist of a bar which extends along the arm and isconnected by a pivoted lever to a point near the end of the arm.

In order to provide the swivel, the link may consist of a bar which isdivided into two portions each of which has a circular head at one end,the two circular heads abutting each other and being surrounded by asplit collar which holds them together but allows them to rotaterelatively to each other, when clamping bolts are loosened.

One example of an excavator constructed in accordance with the presentinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE I is a side elevation of our new mechanical excavator;

FIGURE 11 is a side elevation of the bucket which is shown while it isbeing turned around;

FIGURE III is a side elevation of the bucket after it has been turnedaround and reconnected to the arm; and

FIGURE IV is a side elevation of the swivel in the link.

The excavator consists of a body 1 which is carried through a turntable2 on a track laying base 3. A box shaped boom 4 is pivoted at its lowerend 5 to the body 1 and is raised and lowered by a hydraulic ram 6. Achannel shaped digging arm 7 is pivoted to the free upper end 8 of theboom 4 by means of a pair of brackets 9 which extend one on each side ofthe boom 4 and arm 7. The brackets 9 carry an extension 19 which isconnected by a hydraulic ram 11 to the boom 4 so that, upon operation ofthe ram 11, the digging arm can be swung backwards and forwards on theend of the boom 4. A bucket 12 having digging teeth 13 is fitted to thefree end of the arm 7. The bucket 12 is rocked about the end of the arm7 by a hydraulic ram 14 which is pivotally connected to the brackets 9and to one end of a link 15 the other end of which is pivoted to thebucket 12. A pivoted lever 16 connects the common junction of the ram 14and a link 15 with a point near the end of the arm 7.

As shown most clearly in FIGURE II, the sides of the bucket 12 areformed with rearwardly extending flanges 17 and the two flanges havethree sets of aligned holes through them. One set 18 is near the top,one set 19 is near the bottom, and the third set 20 is midway betweenthe other two sets. The two sets of holes 18 and 19 form alternativeconnections at which the bucket 12 can be connected to the end of thearm 7 by a pin which passes through a set of holes 21 in the side platesof the arm 7 as well as through the holes 18 or 19. The end of the link15, which incorporates a swivel 22, is connected to the flanges 17 ofthe bucket by a pin which passes through the set of holes 20.

As best seen in FIGURE IV, the link 15 consists of two identicalportions 23 and 24 each of which has a machined circular head 25 at oneend and a forked bracket 26 at the other end. The circular heads 25 abutone another and are surrounded by a split collar 27 the two parts ofwhich are fixed together by bolts 28. When the bolts 28 are drawn uptightly, the heads 25 of the portions 23 and 24 are drawn up tightlytogether as a result of an engagement between chamfered surfaces 29inside the collar 27 with correspondingly shaped surfaces beneath theheads 25. However, when the bolts 28 are loosened, the portions 23 and24 of the link 15 can rotate relatively to one another within the collar27 so that the bucket 12 can be turned around.

If then the bucket is initially in a position shown in FIGURE I in whichthe open front of the bucket faces backwards and the excavator is readyfor use as a back. or r r chg er, n h pin whi h Pas t ro gh the holes 18in, the flanges 17 and connects the bucket to the arm 7 is removed, thebucket will drop to the position shown in FIGURE II in which it issupported by the link 15. If the bolts 28 are released the bucket canthen be swung around through about its swivel 22 and reconnected to thearm 7 by a pin which passes through the holes 19 in the flanges 17 andthrough the holes 21 in the arm 7. When the bolts 28 have been tightenedonce more, the excavator will be ready for use as a face shovel as shownin FIGURE III. The procedure is of course the same to reconvert theexcavator for use as a drag shovel once more.

We claim:

1. In a mechanical excavator comprising a boom, 21 digging arm pivotallymounted on said boom, and power operated digging means mounted on thefree end of said arm, the improved digging means which comprises adigging bucket, first pivotal connection means on the free end of saidarm, second and third pivotal connection means at the front and rearrespectively of said bucket for alternative cooperation with said firstpivotal connection means to rockably mount said bucket on Said arm withthe front of said bucket in positions facing forwards and backwardsrespectively, power means mounted on said arm, a rigid link, fourthmeans pivotally connecting one end of said link to said power means,fifth means pivotally connecting the other end of said link to saidbucket intermediate said second and said third pivotal connection means,whereby said link can transmit thrust and pull from said power means tosaid bucket to rock said bucket on said arm when said bucket is mountedin either of said positions, and swivel means in said link whereby saidbucket may be swivelled while supported by said link to selectivelybring said second or said third pivotal connection means intocooperation with said first pivotal connection means.

2. An-excavator as claimed inclaim l in which the bucket is mounted onthe end of the arm and the link consists of a bar which extends besidethe arm but is spaced therefrom by a lever pivotally connected at oneend to the link and at the other end to a point near the end of the arm.

3. An excavator as claimed'in claim 1 in which the link consists of abar divided into two portions, each portion having a circular head atone end with the two circular heads abutting each other, and a splitcollar. surrounding'said heads which holds them together but allows themto rotate relatively to each other to form the swivel.

4. An excavator as claimed in claim 1 in which said power means is ahydraulic ram by means of which the bucket is locked on the end of thearm.

,5. An excavator as claimed in claim 1, in which the connection for thebucket to'the arm, and the central holes'in the flanges beingarranged-toreceive a pin which extends between the two flanges and forms aconnection for the link.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,185,427 5/16Moore 2141 37 1,385,322 7/21 Hoifmeyer 2l4'138 1,479,849 1/24 Williams214137 2,678,140 5/54 GOetZ 214138 HUGO O. 'SCHULZ, Primary Examiner.

1. IN A MECHANICAL EXCAVATOR COMPRISING A BOOM, A DIGGING ARM PIVOTALLYMOUNTED ON SAID BOOM, AND POWER OPERATED DIGGING MEANS MOUNTED ON THEFREE END OF SAID ARM, THE IMPROVED DIGGING MEAN WHICH COMPRISES ADIGGING BUCKET, FIRST PIVOTAL CONNECTION MEANS ON THE FREE END OF SAIDARM, SECOND AND THIRD PIVOTAL CONNECTION MEANS AT THE FRONT AND REARRESPECTIVELY OF SAID BUCKET FOR ALTERNATIVE COOPERATION WITH SAID FIRSTPIVOTAL CONNECTION MEANS TO ROCKABLY MOUNT SAID BUCKET ON SAID ARM WITHTHE FRONT OF SAID BUCKET IN POSITIONS FACING FORWARDS AND BACKWARDSRESPECTIVELY, POWER MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID ARM, A RIGID LINK, FOURTHMEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING ONE END OF SAID LINK TO SAID POWER MEANS,FIFTH MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING THE OTHER END OF SAID LINK TO SAIDBUCKET INTERMEDIATE SAID SECOND AND SAID THIRD PIVOTAL CONNECTION MEANS,WHEREBY SAID LINK CAN TRANSMIT THRUST AND PULL FROM SAID POWER MEANS TOSAID BUCKET TO ROCK SAID BUCKET ON SAID ARM WHEN SAID BUCKET IS MOUNTEDIN EITHER OF SAID POSITIONS, AND SWIVEL MEANS IN SAID LINK WHEREBY SAIDBUCKET MAY BE SWIVELLED WHILE SUPPORTED BY SAID LINK TO SELECTIVELYBRING SAID SECOND OR SAID THIRD PIVOTAL CONNECTION MEANS INTOCOOPERATION WITH SAID FIRST PIVOTAL CONNECTION MEANS.